Year of the Spark: December 19 to 24
by Sparky Army
Summary: After having been missing for 2 months, John Sheppard is finally found.
1. Chapter 1

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers That Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you and anyone might happen to read these works, agree. _

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some --and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

A/N: So this is only the first chapter. There will definitely be more. The first bit may seem to kinda focus on Lorne, but Sparky will be coming that's for sure and Lorne will just kinda be in the background. Hope you like the beginning and tell me what you think!

* * *

Memories

By saphiretwin369

* * *

Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla stood in the gate room ready to go on their first mission with the new leader of SGA-1, Major Lorne. Evan Lorne was a bit reluctant to take on the role as leader of the frontline team, but Dr. Weir had put her trust in him and so had the team and he wasn't about to let them down. As he stood there while the gate was dialed up, he remembered back to a couple days ago.

---

_His radio crackled. "Major Lorne?" he heard Dr. Weir's slightly distorted voice in his ear._

_"Yes, ma'am?" he responded._

_"I'd like you to report to my office as soon as you can, Major." The tone of her voice put him on edge. There was something in it he had never heard before - defeat, resignation._

_"Of course, ma'am. I'll be right there." He got up off his bed where he had been relaxing and left his quarters._

_Once he'd reached Dr. Weir's office, he knocked hesitantly. He'd been hearing talk lately amongst his fellow officers. Some had heard that Dr. Weir was being pressured to replace Colonel Sheppard so that SGA-1 could get back out there exploring the Pegasus galaxy. There had been speculation about who she would replace him with and Lorne's name had come up. He was the Colonel's 2IC and a good officer already familiar with Atlantis, the wraith, and the galaxy in general. _

_However, he was reluctant to be taking the Colonel's old spot, which is what he suspected Dr. Weir wanted to talk to him about._

_Through the glass door, he saw Elizabeth lift her head. She smiled slightly when she noticed who was standing outside her office and told him to come in. He opened to door and walked through._

_"Have a seat, Major."_

_He took a seat, his nervousness going up a notch when he saw the expression in her eyes. It was one of devastation and complete sadness he only ever saw when she was thinking about John. He'd noticed the dramatic change in her after John had gone missing. Before, when she thought about John, her eyes seemed to light up and she'd be happy. But now she seemed depressed. In addition, there was also the defeat in her eyes that he had heard in her voice._

_"Major, I've recently been contacted by the IOA. It's been two months since..." her voice broke slightly and it looked like she wanted to start crying. She took a deep breath. "Since we lost John," she continued, "And I have been informed that they would like to appoint a new commanding officer to SGA-1."_

_Lorne stiffened. He was right. Just as he had known he would be. He still didn't like it._

_"Colonel Sheppard always spoke very highly of you, Major, and you were his 2IC. I'd like you to become the new team leader of SGA-1."_

_Evan was silent for a long moment and Elizabeth just watched silently. "I don't know if I can do that, ma'am. It feels disrespectful to take his job."_

_"I understand that. However, I'm sure John would not feel it's disrespectful at all. As I said, Major, he spoke very highly of you. You are one of the better officers we have here in Atlantis. If given the choice himself, I'm sure he would have chosen you."_

_"Ma'am, I appreciate that, I really do. But do you think that Ronon, Teyla, and Dr. McKay will really accept me as their new leader?"_

_"I'm quite positive Teyla will. And Rodney will too in time, though he may be a little difficult to work with at first. Ronon is another story. I don't think he'd accept anyone as his new leader," she told honestly. "If anything, Teyla will keep him in line." She smiled a little at that thought._

_Lorne thought about it for a minute. It did make sense. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. "All right, ma'am."_

_"Thank you, Major. I'm sure you'll do a fine job."_

_The defeat and overwhelming sadness went away for a brief moment as relief washed over her. Lorne guessed it was the fact that she finally had that job out of the way._

---

Lorne took a deep breath and shook away the memory. He was just going to have to suck it up and face the facts – he was now the new leader of SGA-1. Elizabeth had enough trust in him for the job and he didn't want to let her down. She was feeling bad enough with the Colonel gone.

Walking through the gate, he led the new team on their first mission. The planet looked like any other planet they had ever been to – lots of trees and other green plants with the DHD close by. They walked for a little bit, finding nothing unusual, before they started to hear noises.

Lorne stopped the team to listen. It vaguely sounded like grunts and groans and like bodies slamming against bodies. It sounded like men were fighting.

The team crept forward silently until they came to the top of a hill. Being careful to say hidden in the trees so as not to be seen by whomever was making the noises, they looked down onto the scene below.

"Genii," McKay said.

Indeed, about 15 men clearly wearing Genii soldiers' uniforms were below. They seemed to be performing training exercises and there were several groups of two to four men that were sparring. One stern, older looking man walked back and forth amongst the other men yelling, demonstrating, and giving pointers.

Teyla noticed that he seemed particularly interested in one pair of men fighting – overseeing them the most and watching closely. One man in the pair was big and burly with brown hair. The other man had his back to the team. He had black hair, a thin frame, and he was of average height.

The overseer stopped to watch them for a moment. When the black haired man knocked the other man down, the overseer smirked. The burly man on the ground seemed to notice and scowled. He got up and within seconds, it was the black haired man on the ground this time.

As he landed hard on his back, the team got a good look at his face. They were completely shocked.

The man was John Sheppard.


	2. Chapter 2

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers That Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you and anyone might happen to read these works, agree. _

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some --and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

A/N: This second chapter is kind of short and I think it kind of end abruptly too, but I hope you like it. And more is to come after this also.

* * *

Ch. 2

For a few moments no one said anything. They weren't sure what exactly to say.

Lorne thought it was pretty ironic that they would find the very man that he had replaced as leader of the team on his first mission out as said leader.

"What should we do?" Ronon finally asked.

"Well, we can't just go down there obviously," Rodney said, knowing what Ronon wanted to do. "There's like fifteen of them and four of us."

"So?" We've taken on more wraith before."

"We're not going down there," Lorne interrupted the two, "I don't know how willing the Colonel would be to come with us anyway."

"Major Lorne is correct," Teyla agreed. "Colonel Sheppard seems to be a part of the exercises. There are no guards nor does he seem to be there unwillingly."

As Rodney realized that Lorne and Teyla were right, horror crossed his face. "You – you don't think they brainwashed him or anything?"

"I do not know, Rodney," she responded.

"We need to head back to the gate," Lorne told his team. "We should inform Dr. Weir that we've found the Colonel first, then plan the next course of action."

This seemed logical enough and Teyla and Rodney voiced their agreement while Ronon just grunted. They quietly left the top of the hill and headed back.

---

After SGA-1 had left, Elizabeth tried to get some work done. She sat down at her desk, opened her laptop, but found that she just couldn't concentrate. Her elbows on the table, she rested her head in her hands and closed her eyes.

She had decided that yesterday had officially been the worst day of her life. When the IOA had contacted her, she had known what they wanted. She had even been expecting it. But that hadn't made the situation any easier for her. She had been told that an 'appropriate amount of time' had been dedicated to finding Colonel Sheppard and it was time for the frontline team to get back out there exploring the galaxy. Which meant that she had to find a leader for the team.

She hated the thought that she was giving up on him. That after two months it was likely that he wasn't ever going to come home. She had to face the facts. She was probably never going to see his face again, never going to hear his voice again, and never going to stand on the balcony with him again. And she hated it.

She was so caught up in these depressing thoughts, she jumped when she heard Chuck's voice in her ear. "Ma'am? We have an incoming wormhole. It's SGA-1. Major Lorne is on radio."

That was another thing she hated. The fact that she was going to have to get used to hearing Lorne's name and voice when dealing with SGA-1. It wasn't that she disliked Lorne - in fact the opposite was true. But he just wasn't John.

"I'll be right there." She told him. With a sigh she lifted herself out of her seat and headed for the control room.

She nodded once to Chuck before touching her ear and asking, "Major Lorne? Anything of interest to report?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'd say so."

"What is it, Major?"

There was a moment of hesitation before he spoke. "We've found Colonel Sheppard."

---

Elizabeth was stunned and it took her a long moment before she found her voice. "Excuse me, Major? Did you just say. . .?" She was afraid to finish her sentence.

"Yes, ma'am. He's on this planet."

When she heard that, Elizabeth finally allowed herself to have a little bit of hope.


	3. Chapter 3

_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers That Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you and anyone might happen to read these works, agree. _

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some --and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

A/N: I know this chapter's a little short, but here it it. I hope to finish this story by tomorrow. And several of us are working to get all caught up and be completely finished by December 31. Anyway, let me know what you all think!

* * *

Ch. 3

"But there's a problem." Lorne told her.

Elizabeth sighed and her heart dropped a little. _Of course there is,_ she thought. She waited for Lorne to inform her.

"The Genii are on this planet. They seem to be conducting exercises. Colonel Sheppard is among those performing the exercise and he seems to be there willingly."

"Willingly as in..." she left the sentence hanging for Lorne to complete.

"Willingly as in we believe he may have been . . . brainwashed, ma'am."

"So he's not likely to help you," she deduced.

"Right."

"What's you plan of action, Major?"  
"No plan right this moment. But there is no way we can take on the Genii alone. Requesting backup ma'am."

"You have it. I'll send Major Lake's and Major Morrison's teams."

* * *

As soon as she had sent two more teams to help SGA-1 and the gate was shut down, Elizabeth immediately radioed Carson and told him to be ready at a moment's notice. She knew the probability of several of her people returning injured. Especially since they would be fighting the Genii.

She thought back to the last time they had ran into trouble with the Genii. The Genii had come onto Atlantis and tried to take the city in the middle of a huge storm. She had lost several soldiers, Rodney had been shot in the arm, and she had almost been captured herself by Kolya. Had it not been for John, she would have been. She remembered how he had asked her if she was ok, and led her up the stairs after it was all over. It was at that exact moment that she realized she wouldn't know what to do without him. Unfortunately, she found out the answer to that question the hard way.

_But he is coming home_, she told herself. _Major Lorne will bring him home._

* * *

It had now been several hours since Lorne had contacted Atlantis. She knew it would be a difficult mission and probably take some time, but she was starting to worry. She couldn't help but wonder if whatever the Genii had done to John was being done or had been done to the rest of her people.

She shook her head to make the thought go away. She didn't even want to go there.

It was a half an hour past that when she finally heard the tell tale signs of the gate powering up that she had been listening for. She quickly closed her laptop - she still hadn't been able to get any work done but she figured she could catch up tomorrow after John was safely back on Atlantis. She rushed to the control room, at the same time contacting Carson.

"IDC coming through now, ma'am," Chuck told her. "It's SGA-1."

She nodded. "Lower the shield."

Chuck did and a second later soldiers began to come through. She watched closely as they walked through, searching for the one face in particular. One she had longed to see for over two months.

She had been looking at the faces of her people, but she hadn't noticed their expressions. If she had, she would have noticed the grim smiles accompanied by slight worry in their eyes. Finally, there were only three people that had yet to show up. Ronon came through carrying a limp human-shaped form. Major Lorne walked through last. The gate shut down and Elizabeth looked closer at the form Ronon was carrying, her breath catching in her throat.

John was finally home.

* * *

A couple people did have gunshot wounds, and Major Lake had a broken ankle but there were no life-threatening injuries. Though John was unconscious, Elizabeth learned that he had only been stunned with Ronon's gun.

Elizabeth made her way to the infirmary after giving Carson and his staff enough time to help everyone. As anxious as she was to see John, she hadn't wanted to be in the way.

She approached the far corner of the infirmary. She could see Ronon, Rodney, Teyla, and Major Lorne crowded on one side of a bed and Carson on the other. Carson looked up as he heard her footsteps. "Elizabeth, you're just in time. He's about to wake up."

She stood at the foot of the bed and got a good look at him as he continued to stir slightly. She noticed that his arms and legs were strapped down. She looked up in slight surprise and Major Lorne met her eyes with a silent apology. "My suggestion, ma'am. It was as we expected. He didn't come willingly."

She nodded in understanding then turned her attention back to the man on the bed.

A second later, he opened his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I don't know anything about head injuries and I probably could have looked some stuff up, but I didn't have time so sorry about that. Here's the fourth chapter. Only two more after this. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far!

Ch. 4

John opened his eyes to see six other pairs of eyes staring at him. They all held the same expression of worry but there was happiness mixed in with hope too.

A couple of the eyes were cautiously watching him – as if expecting him to try to fight.

John focused his attention on the faces that the eyes belonged to. All six seemed vaguely familiar to him, but the one directly across from him stood out the most. This face had green eyes and brown hair framing it. The lips were pulled into a worried smile. He felt like he should know who the face was but the answer was evading him.

He went to scrub his eyes and it was only then that he realized his arms couldn't move. He looked down and saw the leather straps that effectively held his arms in place. He noticed that his legs were also strapped down.

Confusion began to settle in his mind and questions raced through. _Who are these people? Where am I? Why am I strapped down?_

The confusion must have been obvious on his face. The man to his left – whom he assumed was a doctor because of his white coat – pulled out a light and asked him to follow it with his eyes. "Well, you don't have a concussion, but you did hit your head pretty hard. What do you remember, lad?"

"Um . . . nothing." John frowned.

"Can you tell me what you name is?"

His frown deepened. "No."

Carson nodded. "You've got amnesia. Not an uncommon thing after a blow to the head. You're name is John Sheppard."

"John Sheppard," he repeated. "That does sound vaguely familiar."

Carson smiled. "Well, you need to rest. We can figure out the details later. I'll be back later to check on you."

John nodded.

Carson walked away, motioning for the others to follow him.

"Blow to the head?" Elizabeth immediately asked. "I thought he was only stunned."

"He hit his head pretty hard on the ground when he was stunned." Lorne told her.

"Will his memories come back?" Elizabeth asked, afraid to hear the answer, but also needing to know.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that for sure. Head injuries are difficult. His memories could come back quickly, slowly, or not at all."

"At least he does not believe he is Genii anymore." Teyla said.

"Yeah, unless _those_ memories come back!" Rodney pointed out, beginning to panic slightly for his friend.

"If those memories do come back, along with others, they can confuse him. He might wonder who he really is and which side he's really on. He'll need you all to set him straight. Right now he needs to rest, but you can all come back later and see how he's doing."

Ronon, Rodney, Teyla, and Lorne all left the infirmary. They needed rest themselves after the mission. Elizabeth hung back. She turned and looked worriedly back at John.

"Elizabeth, lass, I'm sure he'll be fine. More often than not people's memories return. He's hit his head, but not too hard. Once he's up and about and interacting with people he recognizes and sees some of his old things, it'll be more likely that he'll start to remember."

She just nodded, not taking her eyes off the now sleeping John.

"Elizabeth," he waited until she forced herself to look at him. "I really do believe he'll be fine. He doesn't have a concussion or anything serious. He's pulled through worse than this. Let's give it a couple weeks before we worry about the memory loss becoming permanent."

She sighed. "You're right, Carson. Tell me when he wakes up?"

"Of course."

* * *

Elizabeth sat yet again at her desk attempting to get work done and yet again, she was unsuccessful. She sighed, frustrated at her inability to get through the reports. Eventually she gave up entirely and brought up solitaire on her computer. She could play the game without really thinking about it and allow her mind to wander.

When Carson's call came, Elizabeth looked at the stacks of reports ruefully before heading down to the infirmary.

Carson met her at the entrance. "Before you ask, aye, he's remembered some things."

Elizabeth's heart lifted. "What has he remembered?"

"He remembers that he's a Colonel in the Air Force and that he was involved in something top secret and stationed pretty far from home. Doesn't remember the details though and I figure it's best if we don't tell him either. He might not believe us and it's probably better if he remembers that on his own. I also took off the restraints. It won't help him any if he thinks we don't trust him."

"That's fine. I don't believe he's really a risk."

They walked over to his bed where he was currently sitting up. "Hey, John," she smiled at him.

"Elizabeth."

Elizabeth and Carson were both surprised.

"You remember her name, lad?" Carson asked.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry if some of the things Carson says don't really sound like something he'd actually say. I was having trouble writing him today! Anyway, one more chapter to go after this.

Ch. 5

"Yeah. You're Elizabeth Weir. Can't really remember anything else about you though." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry, lad. It'll probably come to you soon. You're already showing great improvement. I'll leave you to talk to Elizabeth."

* * *

Later, Elizabeth was talking to Carson. "Did he remember some more?"

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Yeah. It was really only little things, though. He didn't remember any major events."

"Aye, it'll probably be something someone says or an object that will trigger those memories."

"He's having trouble with names. He said he could picture people in his mind and know his relationship to them but not their names. Why did he remember my name then?"

"Well it's been found that it's often easier to remember those that are really important and close to them. Many people remember their spouses first." Carson gave her a teasing look and she blushed.

"Now go get some sleep, love. You look exhausted," he instructed her.

She obeyed. It was late and she _was_ tired. The day had been a long one. Between hearing that John had been found, learning about his amnesia, talking to him, and all the waiting that came in between, she was emotionally drained.

She went to sleep wondering if she really was as important and close to John as Carson had implied.

* * *

Elizabeth took her coffee and joined Carson at his usual table closest to the door in the mess. "Good morning, Carson."

"Good morning, love."

"Have you seen John this morning?"

"Aye. He's improved even more. He remembers about Atlantis and about living in another galaxy."

She was glad to hear that. They were silent for a few moments and Elizabeth's mind drifted back to her conversation with Carson the previous night.

"Carson?"

"Yes, lass?"

"When you were talking about how John would probably remember the names of those he was closest to and were important to him first, do you really think that I'm one of the one's closest to him? I mean, what about his team? Surely he's closer to Rodney or Teyla or even Ronon than to me."

"Lass, I've seen you two standing on the balcony talking. Don't tell me you only talk about work?"

"Sometimes, but most of the time . . . no, we don't."

"And you play chess with him." At her look her simply said, "I'm very observant," before continuing, "I don't see him doing either with Ronon, Teyla, or Rodney. And I've seen the way he looks at you. It's the same way you look at him. Trust me, love, you most certainly are one of the most important people in his life."

She took a minute to think about that. "Carson . . ." she hesitated, "the way that I look at him . . . is it obvious how I feel?"

"I don't think so, love. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you, Carson."

* * *

Elizabeth had wanted to visit John again but had learned from Carson that his team was doing so. Instead, she headed for her office. This time she was able to concentrate knowing that John was doing fine and that his memories were returning. By the time she had gotten all caught up on reading reports and her other paperwork, it was past one o' clock in the afternoon.

She entered the infirmary only to find the bed in the corner empty. She looked around the room and saw Carson putting a wrap on a young woman's ankle. She waited until he was done before calling his attention.

"Ah, Elizabeth. I'm assuming you're looking for Colonel Sheppard. I released him earlier this morning. He's doing fine physically and there was no reason to keep him here. He's probably in his quarters. Don't think he felt too comfortable in front of people he doesn't remember yet."

* * *

Three resounding knocks came from the other side of the door. John stood up and waved his hand over the sensor. The door opened and Teyla stood on the other side. In her hand she held a tray of food.

"Teyla, hey."

She smiled and offered him the tray. "I figured you must be hungry."

He took the tray from her. "Thanks." There was appreciation in his voice. She didn't say anything, but somehow he knew that she knew he hadn't wanted to go to the mess hall.

"I have a sparring session to go to, but I shall see you later, Colonel."

He nodded. "Sure. And thanks again."

"You are welcome."

After she left, he ate the lunch that she had thoughtfully brought him and looked around at all his belongings. When he had talked to his team earlier, he had learned that he had been missing for two months. He was surprised to find he still had his quarters and everything was exactly how he'd left it – right down to the open magazine on his bedside table – if he'd been gone so long. Only now, there was a thick layer of dust coating every surface. _It's a good thing I don't have allergies_, he thought.

He had just finished eating when he heard more knocking. Wondering who it would be this time, he once again waved his hand, commanding the door to open.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the person in front of him. "Elizabeth."

"John. I thought I'd come see how you were doing."

"I'm good. Been, you know, remembering some more things. Like how my room looked exactly the same as this when I went missing. That surprised me, not to mention the fact that I still even had a room."

"Well some of us still had hope that you'd return." She smiled back at him.

"Guess you all were right then."

She smiled wider. "I guess we were."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This is the last chapter. Hope you all like it. Once again, thanks to all those who have reviewed so far.

Ch. 6

The sound of someone knocking insistently and loudly on Elizabeth's door woke her up. Groggily, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. As she checked the time – it was only three in the morning! – the knocking became louder and, if possible, even more insistent.

Pushing the covers off, Elizabeth got out of bed. When she opened the door, she was faced with a distressed looking John.

"John?" she was more awake now and concerned about the man in her doorway. "What's wrong?"

He then did something she never expected him to do. He threw his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. The last time she had been this close to him, _she_ had been the one to hug _him_. And he had clearly been a little awkward about it.

"I had a memory," he told her.

"Of what?"

"The storm. When the Genii tried to take over Atlantis. I remember helping McKay to try to get the shield up. I remember that bastard, Kolya, telling me he'd killed you."

"Is that what you're upset about? John, I'm right here. He didn't kill me."

"I know. I remember that part. I just . . . tell me he didn't hurt you at all." He pulled back from the embrace, placing his hands on her arms and looking into her eyes. "I remember everything up until Kolya is about to take you through the gate. Then the memory just stops. Please, just tell me he didn't hurt you," John pleaded.

She was quick to reassure him. "He didn't hurt me, John. You shot him in the shoulder. He fell backwards through the gate – without me." She held his eyes steadily hoping to convey to him that she really was all right if her words weren't enough to convince him.

When he was satisfied, he let go of her arms. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Her voice was soft.

"For waking you up in the middle of the night and being like this. A few times, when a memory comes back, so do the feelings that go with it."

"I understand, John. Follow me." Elizabeth told him.

"Where?"

"You'll see."

She led him out of her room, down the hallway, and out onto a balcony. She was wearing pajama bottoms and a tank top and was glad that it was a warm night. They positioned themselves next to each other at the railing, their shoulders barely touching.

"What else have you remembered?"

"I remember when the aliens took over our bodies and tried to kill each other. It wasn't one of the best memories that have come back."

"Not one of my favorite memories, either," she commented, thinking about how much of an understatement that was. It had been truly awful being trapped in her own body trying to kill John. "What else?"

He shrugged. "More little things. I vaguely remember some guy drinking this potion stuff that made everyone like him. Only it didn't work on me. I'm not sure why. And I've got a strong feeling from that memory too."

"You had a cold. That's why it didn't work on you." She wasn't sure he'd answer her next question but decided to ask anyway. "What feeling do you have?"

He was quiet and she was just thinking that he wasn't going to answer when he opened his mouth. Though he still hesitated slightly, he said, "Jealousy."

That surprised her. "Jealousy? You, John Sheppard, were jealous of Lucius? You know that no one actually like him, right?"

"I wasn't jealous of the fact that everyone liked him. It was more the fact that a _certain_ _person_ liked him. She would give him this smile that I'd only ever seen her give me before. I think that's what made me the angriest."

Elizabeth was surprised that he was admitting all this. Apparently, she wasn't the only one. "Damn. I can't believe I just said that."

Elizabeth smiled and laughed. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. At least it is if you tell me who 'she' is. You obviously like this girl." She grinned teasingly at him.

He was quiet again for a bit. Then he apparently decided to speak. "Yeah, I really do like her. Unfortunately, I don't think I should like her." The look on his face was heartbreaking.

"Why not? While the IOA may frown upon relationships among coworkers here, I never have. You know that."

"Yeah, well, she's not just a coworker. And anyway, she probably doesn't even like me."

"John, I don't think you realized how many women you have under your spell."

"Under my spell?" He gave her a half disbelieving half amused look.

"You know what I mean. I think you should talk to her. That's the only way you'll find out for sure if she likes you back or not."

"Yeah, I guess." He didn't sound convinced.

There was a pause. "So are you going to tell me who it is or not? What did you mean when you said she's 'not just a coworker'?"

Silence again. She was beginning to get used to that. Finally, he turned to face her, determination on his face. "Well, she's not just a coworker. She's also my boss."

Elizabeth was at a loss for words. There was no denying whom he meant. John was the military commander on Atlantis and the she was the only woman who 'outranked' him. "So it's me then?" she asked, a smile beginning to creep on her face.

When he saw her start to smile, John knew in that moment that she felt the same and a smile formed on his own face. "Yeah, it's you."

"That's good."

"Why?"

She looked at him seriously. "Because I love you, John Sheppard."

He looked back at her just as seriously. "I love you, too, Elizabeth Weir."

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Never go missing again."

Both knew that he couldn't promise her that. However, he did say, "I promise to never leave you."

She decided she could live with that.


End file.
